Image processing apparatus for dividing an image based on markers, method thereof and program therefor

ABSTRACT

An image processing method includes: retaining marker information including markers, each of the markers having a type which is shape, pattern or color; acquiring images in which at least one of the markers is caught; referring the marker information to detect the type and a position of the marker caught in the image; and dividing the image into a plurality of divided areas on the basis of the positions of one or more markers in the image, the plurality of divided areas having no common area and each including at least one type of the marker.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromthe prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-56764, filed on Mar. 19,2014; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a methodthereof, and a program therefor.

BACKGROUND

In the related art, in the field of security and facility, a systemconfigured to detect abnormality automatically within visual fields of anumber of cameras installed on site without depending on visual judgmentof person by processing images shot by these cameras is known.

In order to reduce the amount of computation in processing of theimages, or in order to process only within target areas, there is amethod in which a user sets areas on the basis of markers.

However, the user uses an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, adigitizer pen, and a touch pad in order to set the areas. Therefore,there is a problem that the setting operation is complicated.

In view of such a problem, it is an object of the invention to providean image processing apparatus which allows setting of areas withoutusing an input device, a method thereof, and a program therefor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of image processing apparatus of a firstembodiment; FIG. 1B is a flowchart of an operating state of the imageprocessing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an image drawing illustrating a state in which a fence is shotfrom a premise inside the fence in an application example 1;

FIG. 3 is an image drawing showing a state in which markerscorresponding to a detection area are upheld so as to be caught by acamera 16 in an image of the detection area of the camera 16.

FIG. 4 is an image drawing showing a state in which markerscorresponding to a non-detection area are upheld so as to be caught bythe camera 16 in an image of the non-detection area of the camera 16.

FIG. 5 is an image drawing illustrating combinations of the respectivemarkers and an example of an area dividing process;

FIG. 6 is an image drawing illustrating a result of an example of areadivision in a case of an intruder detection;

FIG. 7 is an image drawing illustrating an example of the intruderdetection on the basis of the area division.

FIG. 8 is an image drawing illustrating a state of monitoring a parkingin an application example 2 of a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an image drawing showing a state in which markerscorresponding to respective parking spaces are upheld so as to be caughtby the respective parking spaces of an image;

FIG. 10 is an image drawing showing a state in which markerscorresponding to a traffic area are upheld so as to be caught by thecamera 16 in an image of the traffic area of the camera 16.

FIG. 11 is an image drawing illustrating an example of an area divisionprocess in a parking monitoring;

FIG. 12 is an image drawing illustrating an example of a result of anarea division in a parking monitoring;

FIG. 13 is an image drawing of the case of being used in anair-conditioning control in an office of an application example 3 of athird embodiment;

FIG. 14 is an image drawing in which workers present markers in anoffice;

FIG. 15 is an image drawing in which the office is divided into threeareas by markers;

FIG. 16 is an image drawing in which the office is divided into threeareas;

FIG. 17 is an image drawing in which a worker on site holds a portabledisplay apparatus in his or her hand of an application example 4 of afourth embodiment;

FIG. 18 is an image drawing in which the worker holds a circular markerat a required position and the camera 16 has shot an image thereof;

FIG. 19 is an image drawing in which the worker inputs cross marks atpositions where circular marks are to be input;

FIG. 20 is an image drawing in which the worker holds a square marker ata position close to an existing cross marker to be deleted;

FIG. 21 is an image drawing in which cross markers inside a certainrange is deleted from a position on the image in which a square markeris caught;

FIG. 22 is an image drawing in which a dividing unit divides the area ofan image in which the cross marker is not present;

FIG. 23 is an image drawing in which the worker holds a circular markerapplied with a delete processing method at a position close to a crossmarker to be deleted; and

FIG. 24 is an image drawing in which the dividing unit sets a newboundary with reference to a circular marker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to embodiments, there is provided an image processingapparatus comprising: a marker retaining unit retaining markerinformation including markers, each of the markers having a type whichis shape, pattern or color; an image acquiring unit configured toacquire images in which at least one of the markers is caught; adetection unit configured to refer the marker information to detect thetype and a position of the marker caught in the image; and a dividingunit configured to divide the image into a plurality of divided areas onthe basis of the positions of at least one or more of the markers in theimage, the plurality of divided areas having no common area and eachincluding at least one type of the marker.

An image processing apparatus 10 of embodiments of the invention will bedescribed with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

The image processing apparatus 10 of a first embodiment will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

A configuration of the image processing apparatus 10 of this embodimentwill be described with reference to a block diagram in FIG. 1A. Asillustrated in FIG. 1A, the image processing apparatus 10 includes animage acquiring unit 11, a marker retaining unit 12, a detection unit13, a dividing unit 14, and a processing unit 15, and a camera 16 and arecording apparatus are connected with or without wire.

The image acquiring unit 11 acquires an image from the camera 16 or arecording apparatus. The camera 16 shoots a marker presented on a boardheld by a worker on site. The recording apparatus memorizes images takenby the camera 16.

The marker retaining unit 12 acquires a marker used for detection and aprocessing method (processing program) corresponding to the marker froman outside by using network or a USB connecting device. The markerretaining unit 12 may memorize the marker and the processing methodcorresponding to the marker in advance.

The detection unit 13 detects whether or not the marker acquired by themarker retaining unit 12 remains in the image acquired by the imageacquiring unit 11.

The dividing unit 14 divides the image into a plurality of areas on thebasis of similarity selected in advance with reference to a type and aposition of the marker detected by the detection unit 13. In otherwords, the dividing unit 14 divides the image into a plurality of areashaving no area common to each other including at least one type of themarker on the basis of the positions of the images of at least one ormore detected markers.

The processing unit 15 executes the processing method corresponding tothe marker used for division on the respective divided areas divided bythe dividing unit 14 from one divided area to another. This processingmethod is acquired from the marker retaining unit 12 as described above.

Subsequently, an operating state of the image processing apparatus 10will be described with reference to a flowchart illustrated in FIG. 1B.

In Step S1, the camera 16 shoots a marker at a specific position onsite.

In Step S2, the image acquiring unit 11 acquires an image shot by thecamera 16.

In Step S3, the marker retaining unit 12 acquires the marker used fordetection and the processing method corresponding to the marker from theoutside.

In Step S4, the detection unit 13 references the marker acquired by themarker retaining unit 12 and detects the type and the position of themarker from the image.

In Step S5, the dividing unit 14 divides the image into a plurality ofareas on the basis of the type and the position of the detected marker.At this time, the dividing unit 14 divides the image into the pluralityof areas so as to include only one type of markers in one area and notto have an area common to each other with reference to the similarity.Although one area includes only one type of markers, a plurality ofmarkers may be included as long as they are the markers of the sametype. The similarity is to be determined in advance.

In Step S6, the processing unit 15 calls up the processing methodcorresponding to each marker from the marker retaining unit 12, andexecutes the method from one divided area to another.

Accordingly, this method allows the worker to present a marker whichmatches a required processing method on site at a predeterminedposition, the camera 16 to shoot the marker, and the image processingapparatus 10 to divide the area in the image on the basis of the markerand execute a processing method predetermined for each divided area.

The image processing apparatus 10 of the embodiment allows the user toperform division of the area and setting of the processing method foreach of the divided areas from instinctively on site without using theinput device.

The term “image” means a sill image, or respective frames of a videoimage.

The term “marker” means marks whose type can be identified bytwo-dimensional or three-dimensional shape, pattern, or color and, inthis embodiment, two-dimensional marks presented on a board and a circlemark, a cross mark, a triangular mark, and a square mark are included.The term “markers of the same type” means markers having the same shape,pattern, shape and pattern, shape and color, pattern and color, or shapeand pattern and color, and the size of the marker may or may not be usedfor identification of the type.

The term “similarity” is a degree indicating how two given points (pixelposition) on the image are similar by using a scale uniquely determinedfrom a physical amount at the tow points (image coordinate value,luminance value, RGB value, luminance difference from peripheral pixels,and edge weight). The more the physical amount of two points aresimilar, the higher the similarity, and the less the physical amount ofthe two point are similar, the lower the similarity.

In the case that the physical amount is the image coordinate value, thescale of the similarity is a distance between two points (for example,Euclid distance, Manhattan distance, Chebyshev distance), and thesimilarity is an inverse of a value obtained by nth power of Eucliddistance (where n is a natural number). For example, if there are twomarker points A and B at which different markers A and B are placedrespectively, a similarity R1 between the marker point A and a point C,which is at a given position different from the marker point A and themarker point B, (for example, R1 is an inverse of the distance between Aand C), and a similarity R2 between the points B and C (for example, R2is an inverse of the distance between B and C) are obtained andcompared, and which areas of the marker point A and the marker point Bthe given point C is included in is determined. At this time, if thesimilarity R1 between A and C is larger than the similarity R2 between Band C, the given point C is included in the area of the marker point A.Therefore, the dividing unit 14 divides the image so that the givenpoint C is included in the marker A. The marker point is an imagecoordinate value of a center point of an area where the marker appears,or an image coordinate value of a point of center of gravity thereof.This method allows calculation of a boundary line of the divided areas,and is specifically effective in the case where there is no differencein luminance value and RGB value between peripheries of the two markerpoints. Specifically, the distance between the marker point A and themarker point B is obtained, and the area is divided by a line at thesame distance from the marker point A and the marker point B (a linewhere the similarity of the two marker points A and B is the same) as aboundary line.

In the case where there are differences in the luminance value and theRGB value between the peripheries of the two marker points and theluminance value or the RGB value is used as the physical amount forobtaining the similarity, the amount of change in luminance value or inRGB value is used as the scale of the similarity, and an inverse of theamount of change is used as the similarity.

In the case where the value of the edge weight is used as the scale ofthe similarity is used, an inverse of a cost alleviation (energy) byedge cutting is used as the similarity and the dividing unit 14 dividesthe area by graph-cut.

In the case where a value of luminance gradient as the scale of thesimilarity is used, a value obtained by Watershed method may be used asthe similarity, and the dividing unit 14 divides the area by theobtained value.

In the case where the type or the position of the marker appearing inthe image is found by a different process or prior information, thedistance between the markers is obtained by using a geodesic distance,so that the dividing unit 14 can divide the area by a line at the samedistance from the respective markers as a boundary line in the samemanner as the case of the Euclid distance.

A configuration in which the type of the similarity as described aboveis not determined in advance, but the gradient amount of the luminancevalues or the RGB values in the peripheries of the markers are obtained,and the dividing unit 14 changes the type of the similarity as needed inaccordance with the position of the marker on the image is alsoapplicable.

Subsequently, an application example 1 of the image processing apparatus10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7. The applicationexample 1 is a case where the image processing apparatus 10 is used fora security field, and is used for detecting an intruder climbing over afence.

The camera 16 shoots the fence from premises within the fence asillustrated in FIG. 2, and the image acquiring unit 11 acquires an imageshot by the camera 16. The intruder climbing over the fence alwaysappears in the periphery of the fence. There is a case where a personallowed to enter the premises approaches the fence and is caught in theimage inside the fence. However, such a person does not climb over thefence in normal cases. Therefore, in order to detect only the intruderswho climbs over the fence, the image processing apparatus 10 sets thearea above the fence as a detection area 21 as illustrated in FIG. 2,and sets an area below as a non-detection area.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the workers present boards having circularmarkers 31 and 32 thereon so as to be included in the detection area 21,and the camera 16 shoots an image including the markers 31 and 32. Thecamera 16 may shoot the plurality of markers as a still imagesimultaneously. However, if the camera 16 has a function to shoot amovie image, the camera 16 shoots an image of the worker moving a singlemarker from a position 31 to a position 32 in sequence.

Subsequently, the image acquiring unit 11 acquires the image.

Subsequently, the marker retaining unit 12 acquires marker informationincluding a circular marker and an intruder detection processing methodfrom the outside. The intruder detection processing method correspondsto the circular marker and means an intruder detection processingprogram for detecting an intruder in the detection area.

Subsequently, the detection unit 13 detects the circular markersacquired by the marker retaining unit 12 from the image acquired by theimage acquiring unit 11. The processing unit 15 records and saves thetypes of the detected markers and the positions on the image. Forsimplifying description below, the circle mark is assumed to be shot attwo positions, the position 31 and the position 32 in FIG. 3.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the workers present boardshaving a cross markers 41 and 42 thereon so as to be included in thenon-detection area, and the camera 16 shoots an image including themarkers 41 and 42, and the image acquiring unit 11 acquires the image.The camera 16 may shoot the plurality of markers as a still imagesimultaneously. However, if the camera 16 has a function to shoot amovie image, the camera 16 shoots an image by moving a single markerfrom a position 41 to a position 42 in sequence.

Subsequently, the marker retaining unit 12 acquires the markerinformation of the cross markers and a processing method, in which adetection process is not performed in a non-detection areascorresponding to the cross markers (non-detection processing program).

Subsequently, the detection unit 13 detects the cross markers acquiredby the marker retaining unit 12 from the image acquired by the imageacquiring unit 11. The processing unit 15 records and saves the types ofthe detected markers and the positions on the image. For simplifyingdescription below, the cross mark is assumed to be shot at twopositions, the position 41 and the position 42.

Subsequently, the dividing unit 14 selects markers having differenttypes from each other but located at the positions closest to each otherfrom the respective markers detected from the image and pairs as oneset. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the dividing unit 14 selects a cross markat the position 41 as a marker having a different type from the circlemark at the position 31 but located at the closest position and in thesame manner, a cross mark at the position 42 is selected for the circlemark at the position 32, a circle mark at the position 31 is selectedfor the cross mark at the position 41, and the circle mark at theposition 32 is selected for the cross mark at the position 42.Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the dividing unit 14 combines thecircle marker at the position 31 and the cross marker at the position41, and the circular marker at the position 32 and the cross marker atthe position 42, in totally into two pairs.

Subsequently, the dividing unit 14 obtains which marker an area betweenthe markers in each of the pairs is close to is obtained and performsthe area division. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, in the casewhere the similarity is selected to be an inverse of Euclid distance inadvance, the dividing unit 14 sets a straight line 53 obtained bycombining a perpendicular bisector 51 of a shortest distance between theposition 31 and the position 41 and a perpendicular bisector 52 of ashortest distance between the position 32 and the position 42 as aboundary of the area division. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 6,the dividing unit 14 obtains a detection area 61 and a non-detectionarea 62 in the image.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the processing unit 15 performs an intruderdetection processing for the detection area 61 corresponding to thecircular marker and does not perform the intruder detection processingfor the non-detection area 62 corresponding to the cross marker. As aresult, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the image processing apparatus 10detects a person 71 who has climbed over the fence as an intruder, anddoes not detect a person 72 walking inside the fence.

Second Embodiment

In the second embodiment, an application example 2 of the imageprocessing apparatus 10 described in the first embodiment will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 12. The application example 2is the case where the image processing apparatus 10 is used in afacility field, and is the case where the image processing apparatus 10is used in monitoring a parking and introducing vehicles. The imageprocessing apparatus 10 used in the application example 1 may be appliedto the application example 2 by replacing the marker and the processingmethod acquired by the marker retaining unit 14 in the applicationexample 1 with marker information corresponding to the applicationexample 2.

A first object of monitoring the parking in the facility field is todetect the position of a vacant parking space.

A second object is to detect that a vehicle is parked in a parking spacefor disabled for encouraging staff to go for assistance. In order toachieve the first and second objects, the image processing apparatus 10needs to detect the position where the vehicle has stopped and vacantspaces in the parking space. Therefore, the area needs to be divided foreach parking space.

A third object is to find a vehicle 81 being stopped in a traffic areaas illustrated in FIG. 8 and encourage the staff to cope with a rulethat the vehicles are not allowed to be stopped in the traffic area morethan a certain period, which is set up in advance.

As regards the parking space, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the workerarranges the adjacent parking spaces so as to surround with a circularmarker 91 and a triangular marker 92 alternately so as to prevent theareas from being joined.

As regards the traffic area, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the workerarranges cross markers 101 so as to go round the traffic area.

First of all, the camera 16 shoots an image of the parking illustratedin FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. When shooting the markers, the camera 16 mayshoot a plurality of the markers simultaneously as a still image, or mayshoot an image of the worker moving a single marker in sequence as amovie image in the same manner as the application example 1.

Subsequently, the image acquiring unit 11 acquires the image.

Subsequently, the marker retaining unit 12 acquires marker informationincluding the circular markers, triangular markers, and a notificationprocessing method thereof, and a cross markers and an alarm processingmethod thereof from the outside. The notification processing methodcorresponds to the circular and triangular markers, and means anotification processing program for notifying the presence or absence ofparked vehicles in the respective parking spaces. The alarm processingmethod corresponds to the cross markers and means an alarm processingprogram for issuing an alarm when a vehicle stopping in the traffic areais detected.

Subsequently, the detection unit 13 detects the markers acquired by themarker retaining unit 12 from the image acquired by the image acquiringunit 11.

Subsequently, the dividing unit 14 selects markers having differenttypes from each other but located at the positions closest to each otherfrom the respective markers detected by the detection unit 13 and pairsas one set in the same manner as the application example 1, and thenobtains which marker an area between the markers in each of the pairs isclose to is obtained and performs the area division. The dividing unit14 obtains parking space areas 121 and 122 and a traffic area 123 by thearea division as illustrated in FIG. 12.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the processing unit 15 detectsthe presence or absence of the vehicle by using the notificationprocessing method in the parking space areas 121 and 122 correspondingto the circular marker and the triangular markers, and notifies vacantparking spaces to an administrator or to a driver looking for a parkingspace, and notifies the administrator to go to help if there is avehicle parked in the parking space for disabled.

If the processing unit 15 detects a vehicle stopping in the traffic area123, which corresponds to the cross marker by using the alarm processingmethod, for more than a predetermined period, the processing unit 15issues an alarm to the administrator because traffic of other vehiclesmay be hindered and the corresponding vehicle may be subjected to anaccident.

A modification of a method of the area division of the dividing unit 14will be described with reference to FIG. 11. As illustrated in FIG. 11,the area is divided by focusing on the luminance values or the presenceor absence of a change in color between the markers in pairs. Forexample, there is a white line between the circular marker and thetriangular marker, where an edge 113 having strong pixels exists. Thedividing unit 14 does not set the similarity used for the area divisionin advance, but detects the edge characteristic existing between themarkers from the image after the markers have been shot, selects theedge weight of the pixels as the similarity, and obtains a boundary line113 of the area by graph-cut. At this time, the boundary of the adjacentareas corresponds to the edge 113. However, like the boundary lines 111and 112 illustrated in FIG. 11, there is a uniform road surface havingno change in luminance and color between the circular marker and thecross marker or between the triangular marker and the cross marker. Thedividing unit 14 obtains the boundary lines 111 and 112 by changing thescale of the similarity to the Euclid distance as described above or thegeodesic distance if the fact that luminance information, colorinformation, edge strength, and luminance gradient cannot be used as thesimilarity is found from the image.

Third Embodiment

In a third embodiment, an application example 3 of the image processingapparatus 10 described in the first embodiment will be described withreference to FIG. 13 to FIG. 16. The application example 3 is the casewhere the image processing apparatus 10 is used in a facility field, andis the case where the image processing apparatus 10 is used in airconditioning control in an office. The image processing apparatus 10used in the application example 1 may be applied to the applicationexample 3 by replacing the marker and the processing method acquired bythe marker retaining unit 14 in the application example 1 with markerinformation corresponding to the application example 3.

Air conditioning control improves comfort by enhancing conditioning ofan air conditioner in an area where a number of persons exist, orsending wind from the air conditioner toward the area. In contrast, itis an object to restrain waste of energy consumption by weakening orstopping the air conditioning if no person exists or if existence of theperson is temporal. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the person isdetected in an area 131 in the periphery of a desk where the personstays for a long time for work, but persons in other areas are notdetected. If sunshine enters from a window, the temperature in the roomrises. Therefore, a change in luminance of an area near window 132 isalso detected and if there is sunshine and hence the luminance isincreased, a temperature setting for warming and a temperature settingfor cooling are lowered.

The camera 16 shoots markers 141, 142, and 143 held by the workers inthe office to be air conditioned as illustrated in FIG. 14, and theimage acquiring unit 11 acquires the image.

Subsequently, the marker retaining unit 12 acquires the circular marker141, the triangular marker 142, and the cross marker 143 as markerinformation as illustrated in FIG. 14. The marker information acquiredby the marker retaining unit includes the following processing method. Afirst processing method corresponding to the circular marker 141 outputsan air-conditioning control signal to an air-conditioning controlapparatus so as to strengthen the air conditioning by the airconditioner when a person enters a person detection area, and weaken theair conditioning of the air conditioner when no person is present (afirst air-conditioning control program). A second processing methodcorresponding to the triangular marker 142 outputs an air-conditioningcontrol signal to an air-conditioning control apparatus so as tostrengthen the air conditioning by the air conditioner when theluminance caused by the sunshine in a luminance change detection areaincreases, and weaken the air conditioning of the air conditioner whenthe luminance is lowered (a second air-conditioning control program). Athird processing method corresponding to the cross marker 143 outputs anair-conditioning control signal for weakening or stopping the airconditioning of the air conditioner if a person 163 stands in front of acopying machine located in the non-detection area to an air-conditioningcontrol apparatus.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, the dividing unit 14 divides the imageacquired by the image acquiring unit 11 into three areas, namely, aperson detection area 151, a luminance change detection area 152, and anon-detection area 153 on the basis of the marker acquired by the markerretaining unit 12.

The processing unit 15 outputs the air-conditioning control signal tothe air-conditioning control apparatus so as to strengthen the airconditioning of the air conditioner by detecting entry of a person 161into the person detection area or a rising change 162 of luminance dueto the sunshine in the luminance change detection area in the officedivided into the three areas as illustrated in FIG. 16. In contrast, theprocessing unit 15 outputs the air-conditioning control signal forweakening or stopping the air conditioning of the air conditioner if theperson 163 stands in front of the copying machine located in thenon-detection area to the air-conditioning control apparatus.

As illustrated in the application example 3, the processing method inassociated with the marker may be a processing method for detecting achange of the state such as a luminance change in addition to theprocessing method for detecting the presence or absence of the specificobject such as a person or a vehicle.

Fourth Embodiment

In a fourth embodiment, an application example 4 of the image processingapparatus 10 described in the first embodiment will be described withreference to FIG. 17 to FIG. 24. The application example 4 is the casewhere when the area division on the basis of marker input is provided asa feedback and the worker confirms the result of the area division inthe application example 3, and the worker finds that the input of amarker is insufficient, or a marker is placed at an erroneous positionfor input.

In other words, the image processing apparatus 10 performs the areadivision with the markers, there is a case where the area divisiondiffers from an intended result due to the erroneous input of themarker. Since the worker on site does not know whether the area divisionof the image is done as intended, a portable display apparatus such as aportable personal computer, a tablet terminal, or a smart phone isarranged on workers hand, and the image processing apparatus 10 providesa feedback the result of the area division to the portable displayapparatus, whereby the worker can determine a positional correction oraddition of the marker. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 17, the workeron site holds a portable display apparatus 171 in his or her hand, andthe portable display apparatus 171 displays the result of the areadivision on the basis of the marker input until the current time.

As a first example of the erroneous input includes the case where theworker forgets to input the circular marker to one position asillustrated in FIG. 18 and a boundary 172 is set at a wrong position asillustrated in FIG. 17.

At this time, by providing a feedback of the result of the area divisionto the worker, the worker holds a circular marker 181 at a requiredposition and the camera 16 shoots the image as illustrated in FIG. 18,so that the worker is encouraged to divide the area correctly by thedividing unit 14.

A second example of the erroneous input is the case where the workerinput a cross mark 191 to a position where the circle mark should beinput as illustrated in FIG. 19.

At this time, the existing marker of the cross mark 191 needs to bedeleted, the marker retaining unit 12 acquires a square marker specificfor deleting process in associated with the processing method, “todelete an existing marker within a certain range from a position wherethe square marker appears in the image”.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 20, the worker waits for a squaremarker 201 at a position near the existing cross marker 191 to bedeleted, and the camera 16 shoots the corresponding scene.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 21, the processing unit 15 deletesthe cross marker 191 inside a certain range 211 from the position on theimage having the square marker 201 appears thereon.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 22, the dividing unit 14 performsthe area division of the image on which the cross marker 191 is notpresent.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the camera 16 shoots thecircular marker 181 thereafter again, and the image acquiring unit 11acquires the image and the dividing unit 14 performs the area divisionon the corresponding image.

A third example of the erroneous input is a modification of the secondexample, in which a processing method “to delete the existing markerwithin the certain range from a position where the marker is shot on theimage” is also added to all types of markers instead of the squaremarker specific for deleting process.

As illustrated in FIG. 23, the worker holds a circular marker 231including a delete processing method added thereto at a position closeto the cross marker 191 to be deleted, and the camera 16 shoots thecorresponding scene.

Subsequently, the processing unit 15 deletes the cross marker 191 insidea certain range 232 from the position on the image having the circularmarker 231 shot and appeared thereon.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 24, the dividing unit 14 sets a newboundary 241 with reference to the circular marker 231.

Modification

In the respective embodiments described above, the markers can beidentified only by the shape such as the two-dimensional circle marks orcross marks presented on the board. However, the invention is notlimited, and markers of different types may be formed by changing thepattern or the color.

In the respective embodiments described above, the marker is atwo-dimensional shape presented on the board. However, the invention isnot limited thereto, and a configuration in which the markers aredisplayed on a display of an information terminal such as a laptoppersonal computer and the worker displays these markers is alsoapplicable.

Although the embodiments described above, the marker has atwo-dimensional shape presented on the board. However, the invention isnot limited thereto, and markers having a three-dimensional shape isalso applicable. For example, the vehicle stopping in the parking may beused as the marker.

In the image processing apparatus 10, a CPU may read out an imageprocessing program from a ROM onto a RAM and executes the program, sothat the respective units (the image acquiring unit 11, the markerretaining unit 12, the detection unit 13, the dividing unit 14, and theprocessing unit 15) are realized on the computer, and the processdescribed above is performed from an I/F by using data such as themarkers memorized in an HDD. The image processing program may bememorized in the HDD. The image processing program may be memorized in acomputer readable memory medium such as a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a memory card,a DVD, a flexible disk (FD), and an USB memory and provided in a file ofan installable form or executable form. Alternatively, the imageprocessing program may be provided by storing on a computer connected tonetwork such as internet, and provided by causing the user to downloadvia the network. The image processing program may be provided ordistributed via the network such as internet.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intendedto cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the inventions.

What is claimed is:
 1. An image processing apparatus comprising:electronic storage configured to store marker information including aplurality of types of markers, each type of marker being distinguishableon a basis of one or more of shape, pattern or color; and computerprocessing circuitry configured to at least: acquire one or more imagesin which a plurality of markers is captured; detect types and positionsof the markers captured in the image according to the markerinformation; and divide the image into a plurality of divided areas on abasis of the respective position of each type of marker in the image, sothat each divided area includes one type of marker, wherein the markerinformation further includes a processing method corresponding to eachtype of marker, and the computer processing circuitry is furtherconfigured to execute the processing method corresponding to the type ofmarker in each divided area.
 2. The image processing apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the processing method corresponding to the type ofmarker in a respective divided area detects a specific object from therespective divided area or detects a luminance change in the respectivedivided area.
 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the computer processing circuitry is further configured toobtain similarities of marker points where a plurality of markers arepresent on the image and a given point on the image, respectively, andto determine that the given point belongs to an area of the markerhaving the highest similarity.
 4. The image processing apparatusaccording to claim 3, wherein the computer processing circuitry isfurther configured to use a distance or a geodesic distance between theposition of the marker points and the position of the given point as ascale of the similarity.
 5. The image processing apparatus according toclaim 3, wherein the computer processing circuitry is further configuredto use an amount of change in luminance value or an RGB value betweenthe marker points and the given point as a scale of the similarity. 6.The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein thecomputer processing circuitry is further configured to perform areadivision by graph-cut by using an edge weight of the given point as ascale of the similarity.
 7. The image processing apparatus according toclaim 3, wherein the computer processing circuitry is further configuredto perform area division by Watershed method by using the position ofthe marker points and a luminance gradient of the given point as a scaleof the similarity.
 8. The image processing apparatus according to claim3, wherein the computer processing circuitry is configured to change ascale of the similarity for each marker pair compared in the image. 9.The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thecomputer processing circuitry is configured to form a boundary line ofthe divided area and to display the divided area and the boundary lineon a display.
 10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the processing method corresponding to one type of markerdeletes other markers present within a certain range of the one type ofmarker in the image and processes the deleted markers so as not to beused for division of the area.
 11. The image processing apparatusaccording to claim 10, wherein the one type of marker is a marker typespecific for a deleting process.
 12. An image processing methodcomprising: storing, in electronic storage, marker information includinga plurality of types of markers, each type of marker beingdistinguishable on the basis of one or more of shape, pattern or color;acquiring, by computer processing circuitry, one or more images in whicha plurality of markers is captured; detecting, by the computerprocessing circuitry, the types and positions of the markers captured inthe image according to the marker information; and dividing, by thecomputer processing circuitry, the image into a plurality of dividedareas on the basis of the respective position of each type of marker inthe image, so that each divided area includes one type of marker,wherein the marker information further includes a processing methodcorresponding to each type of marker, and the method further comprisesexecuting, by the computer processing circuitry, the processing methodcorresponding to the type of marker in each divided area.
 13. A programstored in a non-transitory computer readable recording medium, theprogram, when executed, causing a computer comprising computerprocessing circuitry to perform at least: acquiring one or more imagesin which a plurality of markers is captured; detecting types andpositions of the markers captured in the image according to markerinformation stored in electronic storage accessible to the computer, themarker information including a plurality of types of markers, each typeof marker being distinguishable on the basis of one or more of shape,pattern or color; and dividing the image into a plurality of dividedareas on the basis of the respective position of each type of marker inthe image, so that each divided area includes one type of marker,wherein the marker information further includes a processing methodcorresponding to each type of marker, and the program causes thecomputer to further perform executing the processing methodcorresponding to the type of marker in each divided area.
 14. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein each divided area includes oneor more markers of the same type.
 15. The apparatus according to claim2, wherein, in the marker information, the type of the marker and thespecific object which is detected are stored in the electronic storagein correspondence with each other.
 16. The apparatus according to claim2, wherein, in the marker information, the type of the marker is storedin the electronic storage in correspondence with an area where thespecific object is detected or an area where the specific object is notdetected.
 17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a boundary ofthe divided areas is located between markers of different types.
 18. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein markers of the same type areincluded in the same divided area.
 19. The apparatus according to claim1, wherein each divided area does not overlap any other divided area.